Robert Sherrat (1771-1818)
|joined_with=Isobel Spring (1762-aft1818) |contributors=TomChatt }} Genealogy __TOC__ * Sex: Male * Born: circa 1770, Aberdeenshire, Scotland * Died: 14 June 1818, Birse, Aberdeenshire, Scotland See Birse Kirk Session, at 14 June 1818. * Buried: unknown It seems likely he was buried in Birse, since we find a mortcloth being paid for him in Birse Kirk session records, but there is no extant monument to him in the Birse kirkyard. Pedigree Robert Sherrat's parentage is unknown. (See Disambiguation below.) Siblings * unknown Spouses * Isobel Spring, m. 8 Dec 1796 in Old Machar.See Old Machar OPR, 8 Dec 1796. (The same marriage was later recorded 24 Dec 1797 in Nigg.)See Nigg OPR, 24 Dec 1797. Offspring # Christian (b. 1797, Birse; married James Cattanach; emigrated to Canada; d. aft 1881) # Mary (b. 1799, Birse; married Robert Cromar and James Shaw; lived in Lumphanan; d. 1871, Glenmuick) # Archibald Farquharson (b. 1802, Birse; emigrated to Canada; married Mary Ann Morgan there; d. 1885) # Isabel (b. 1805, Birse; not known aft 1819) Biography Facts about Robert Sherrat prior to his marriage have not been determined. (See Disambiguation below.) In 1796, Robert Sherrat married Isobel Spring. He was at that time a gardener in Nigg. About this same time, his new wife's sister Christian, who had married an aging laird, became a widow with a very young child. The newly married Robert and Isobel joined Christian on the Finzean estate in Birse, where Robert became the overseer.This can be seen in Birse parish registers in the baptisms of the four Sherrat children from 1797 to 1805, where Robert is described as "overseer at Finzean". They had four children while living at Finzean. Sometime between 1808 and 1812, the family moved to nearby Tillyfruskie where they remained until Robert died in 1818.The family residence, in addition to the baptism records, is identified in the Birse Lists of Inhabitants. In the lists of 1797, 1801, and 1808 the family are listed in Finzean. In 1812, the family are listed in Ramahaggan, and in 1815, they are listed in Tillyfruskie. It is likely they were living in Tillyfruskie from at least 1812, as Ramahaggan is adjacent to Tillyfruskie and may have been used as the counting point instead. Moreover, in 1812 and 1815 baptisms of children of Alexander Smart, Robert Sherrat is a witness, and is described as "at Tillyfruskie" in both. Disambiguation An online search of Church of Scotland records (which are comprehensively extracted in the IGI) shows several Robert Sherrats in Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire born at approximately the right time. Any one of these may be this Robert Sherrat: * 2 Jun 1771 Alexander Sherat christened a son Robert in Fetteresso, Kincardineshire * 17 Jan 1765 James Sheeret christened a son Robert in St. Cyrus, Kincardineshire * 23 Oct 1761 Robert Sherret christened a son Robert in Arbuthnott, Kincardineshire * 6 Feb 1763 Alexander Sherret christened a son Robert in Arbuthnott, Kincardineshire * 8 Apr 1767 Robert Shirret and Margaret Tweedale christened a son Robert in Montrose, Angus The one in Fetteresso is closest to Nigg (while Arbuthnott and St. Cyrus are toward the southern end of Kincardineshire). But there are also a few scattered records of Sherrats in Banchory-Ternan that appear to be incomplete. Notes Sources ;Birse Kirk Session: Birse Kirk Session, 1698-1942, in National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, refno CH2/595. :14 Jun 1818 Paid for the use of the mortcloth to Mr Sherrat late in Tillyfruskie 5/-'' ;Birse Lists: Found in: ''Birse Kirk Session, 1698-1942, in National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, refno CH2/595. (The Rev. Joseph Smith of the parish of Birse had a habit of making lists of all the inhabitants of his parish every 2 or 3 years. This practice was not common, and may be unique to him, but it's a boon for genealogists researching in Birse. Lists include 1797, 1801, 1808, 1812, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1825.) ;Birse OPR: Church of Scotland, Parish of Birse, Parish registers, 1758-1854. On microfilm at LDS FHS 0991258. :11 Dec 1797: "Mr. Robert Sherrat overseer at Finzean had a daughter baptized named Christian Wit. Mr. Robert Spring and Miss Mary Spring" (The witnesses are probably Isobel's brother and sister. Note the use of "Mr." here is a special respect. None of the other similar entries on this page, for instance, use "Mr." with the names of fathers or witnesses.) :17 Apr 1799: "Mr. Robert Sherrat overseer at Finzean had a daughter baptized named Mary. Witnesses Mr. Robert Spring from Aberdeen and Miss Mary Spring at Finzean" (The witnesses are again Isobel's brother and sister. Note that Mary is now listed as "at Finzean".) :27 Dec 1802: "Mr. Robert Sherret overseer at Finzean had a son baptized named Archibald. Witnesses Mr. Cromar and David Stratton" (Note "Mr. Cromar" is likely George Cromar, schoolmaster at Bankhead, who baptized a daughter the same day.) :19 Oct 1805: "Mr. Robert Sherret overseer at Finzean had a daughter baptized named Isobel. Witnesses James Robertson and David Stratton in Woodend" ;Nigg OPR: Church of Scotland, Parish of Nigg, Parish registers, 1675-1854. On microfilm at LDS FHS 0993323, 0993324. :24 Dec 1797: Robert Shirret and Isobel Spring married extract (IGI extract) (It is not clear why their marriage was re-recorded in another parish slightly more than a year after they were married, and 2 weeks after the birth of their first child.) ;Old Machar OPR: Church of Scotland, Parish of Old Machar, Parish registers, 1621-1854. On microfilm at LDS FHS 0991141. :8 Dec 1796: "Robert Sherrets gardener in the parish of Nigg and Isobel Spring in the parish of Old Machar signified their purpose of marriage. Robert Spring being cautioner of their pledges. Being proclaimed in 2 several sabbaths without objection, they were married." (This Robert Spring likely to be Isobel's father, though it may be her younger brother, then age 25.) (IGI extract) See Also * Spring and Sherratt Family Connection to Farquharson of Finzean __SHOWFACTBOX__